Pre-Optometry

Optometrists are primarily involved in testing eyesight for the purpose of prescribing corrective lenses. Students interested in optometry usually obtain a four-year degree prior to entering optometry school. Alternatively, students may take a three-year pre-optometry program at Central and then transfer to the optometry school of their choice where they will complete a two- or three-year program. The 19 schools in the U.S. and Canada offering professional optometry degree programs vary in their entrance requirements. Therefore, students interested in pre-optometry should determine the specific requirements of the optometry school to which they wish to transfer. Most schools require some experience (observation) with optometry prior to application. Social science, humanities, and writing courses are usually required in addition to the science courses listed below. The OAT (Optometric Aptitude Test) scores are required to apply to most schools. For links to optometry schools, information about the OAT, application procedures, and other useful information, see the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) website at www.opted.org.

Pre-Professional Programs Information

These programs are planned for two groups of students-those who want one or two years of college work prior to entering an occupation, and those who want to do pre-professional work for one, two, three, or four years before entering a professional school, university, or college.

The programs described are not to be considered unalterable. They represent patterns that generally agree with the requirements of many professional schools. Since there are many variations in the requirements of the professional schools, students should, after consulting the CWU catalog, select courses required by the institution from which they expect to earn a degree.